What the Little Black Dots on Your Windshield Mean

Every time you sit in the driver’s seat and look out your windshield, you’ve probably noticed the small black dots all around the edges of your windshield. The dotted pattern might look like nothing more than decoration, but it actually serves a greater purpose in keeping your windshield safe and secure.

What Are the Black Dots on My Windshield?

Those little black dots you see every time you look out your windshield are called frits. They’re made of a black enamel-based coating that is printed and then baked onto the edges of your windshield.

What Are Frits For?

Contrary to popular belief, those little black dots on your windshield aren’t just for decoration. While they certainly look cool, they serve a few other purposes too, such as the following:

Serve as a Contact Point Between the Glass and Frame

Did you know that without these small dots, the adhesive holding your windshield in place most likely won’t have anything to stick to?

Windshield frits act as a contact point between the glass and the car frame, making it easier for the urethane adhesive to stick and keep the windshield in place.

Help Preserve the Glue

Ever wondered why manufacturers use black out of all the colors for windshield frits? Well, it’s actually all the sun’s fault. Windshield frits are black specifically because the enamel coating can successfully block the sun and help preserve the glue.

Without frits, the adhesive on your windshield would’ve probably melted and slipped off its frame by now.

Distribute Temperature Evenly

Frits also play an important role in the manufacturing process of windshields. First, the glass is cut to the shape of the windshield, and then the black dots are printed on. Unless manufacturers want to have a hard time molding the glass, they can’t skip this step.

The frits typically heat up faster and at a higher temperature than the rest of the glass, and their dotted pattern helps distribute the heat more evenly as the glass is molded to shape.

Improve the Windshield’s Aesthetic Value

Can you imagine looking at your windshield and seeing a thick layer of squished glue on its edges? Thanks to the frits, you don’t have to.

The black strip and dotted pattern are great at hiding the adhesives, saving your ride from looking like an arts and crafts project with messy glue everywhere.

Why Are Windshield Frits Dots?

Have you ever noticed how most, if not all, cars have similar black dots patterned around their windshields? Well, it’s actually more than just a coincidence.

Manufacturers don’t print these black dots at random. They actually follow a halftone pattern, which creates a gradient effect from the solid black frit band to the clear glass.

If you look closely, you’ll notice how the dots get smaller and farther apart, making the black paint around the edge of transparent glass easier on the eyes.

Do All Cars Have Frits?

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a car that doesn’t have those tiny black dots on the windshield. Before the 1950s, however, most vehicles had metal trims that held the windshield in place.

It wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s that auto manufacturers started using adhesive to seal the windshield onto the frame, prompting them to invent frits to protect the glue.

Do Windshield Frits Wear Off?

Over time, your windshield’s frits can wear off. While a few missing dots might not seem like a big deal, it’s important to address this issue as soon as possible.

Worn frits may lead to the glue keeping your windshield intact wearing off, and while the chance of your windshield coming loose and falling out of the frame isn’t that high, it really isn’t a risk you should take.

If there is damage to the frits, like the coating coming off, a complete windshield replacement is recommended as these frits are baked on the glass during manufacturing, not just painted on.

What Are the Black Dots Behind the Rear View Mirror?

If you own a modern car, then you’ve probably noticed another set of dots on your windshield, right behind your rear view mirror.

These tiny specks are also frits, but they’re specifically called “third visor frits,” which help block the sunlight from going through the gap between your sun visor and car roof.